Method of making receptacle sealing caps



Dec. 27, 1938.

E. H. FABRICE.

METHOD OF MAKING RECEPI ACLE SEALING CAPS Filed March 26, 1936 Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING RECEPTACLE SEAL- ING CAPS Application March 26, 1936, Serial No. 70,959

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the type of bottle or receptacle sealing cap which is composed of a resilient sheet metal as opposed to foil or other pliable non-resilient metals or materials and relates more particularly to the type of sealing cap which is severable into two or more parts in order to effect release thereof from the receptacle mouth to unseal the receptacle. Such cap is disclosed and claimed in my copending application #70,958, now Patent #2,113,176.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a simple and efficient method of producing a sealing cap of the severable type composed of resilient sheet metal wherein the terminal skirt portion of the cap is of skeleton formation and is pre-formed to telescopically receive and engage a non-cylindrical formation on the bottle neck for the purpose of holding the cap against rotation relatively to the bottle, and wherein said terminal skirt portion is severable between its ends and is also severable from the body of the cap.

The sealing cap to which the invention relates is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a cap to be produced by the method of this invention, showing the same in the condition in which it is produced following primary and secondary operations in the production of the completed article.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cap in the condition in which it is applied to the neck of the bottle or other receptacle upon which it is adapted to be mounted.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upper end portion of a bottle equipped with a threaded neck and with a protruding non-cylindrical formation at the base of the neck for engagement with the aforesaid skeleton formation of the sealing cap.

Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view of the cap taken on a plane substantially midway between the upper and lower wallsv of the arcuate slots in the lower end portion of the cap and immediately above the skeleton cylindrical lower end portion of the cap of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the skeleton end portion of the cap shaped to receive telescopically the formation on the bottle neck which it is adapted to engage.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a different shape of skeleton band at the base of the cap for engagement with a similar formation of a bottle neck and wherein the said skeleton band is expanded at two diametrically opposite points.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional view showing a weakened connection between two parts of the sealing cap.

In the manufacture of caps in accordance with the method of this invention, the first operation consists in producing a substantially cylindrical cap I which is closed at one end by means of conventional sheet metal drawing operations. lhe said cap is then provided with a series of slots 2 extending circumferentially of the cylindrical wall of the cap, which are equally spaced from the extremity 3 of said cap and which are also, preferably spaced equally apart from each other. Thus a skeleton band is formed on the skirt portion 4 of the cap, which lies between the terminal edge 3 and the slots 2 and remains integrally connected with the cap l by a plurality of fragile connecting members 5.

Simultaneously with, or following the cutting of the said slots 2, the said connecting members 5 are partly sheared from the skeleton band 4 by shear cutting and by pressing the lower end portions of the latter inwardly a distance equal to about half the thickness of the metal so as to cut substantially half way through said metal. This weakens the connections between the band 4 and the members 5 to a Very appreciable extent, which permits the said band to be readily completely severed from said members 5.

Following the foregoing operations, the portions 4 of the band which are coincident arouately with the lengths of the slots 2 are expanded to project outwardly from the body of the cap l and are shaped at the same time to render the whole of said band in form and shaping it to correspond in contour and size with the formation 6 at the base of the threaded neck of the bottle 1 shown in Fig. 3. The expansion of the arcuate free portions of the skeleton band is effected by subjecting the same to the action of rolls or dies which effect a stretching of the metal and reshaping thereof.

In the instance illustrated, the said formation 6 is substantially quadrangular and presents four protruding and substantially arcuate corner portions which project outwardly of the body portion of the cap.

Following expansion and shaping of the band 4 as above described, the latter is weakened in a manner substantially similar to the partial shearing away of the connecting members 5 from a point in the upper free edge of the band 4 substantially one-half of an ogee curve to the point 8 substantially midway between the upper and lower edges of said band 4 and from this point on through the balance of said ogee curve, an incision 9 passes entirely through the said band 4 thus providing a free tongue M which is digitally engag'eable for purposes of effecting severance of the band 4 throughout said ogee curve.

As a result of the foregoing steps, a sealing cap is provided which is equipped with a substantially cylindrical body portion and a skeleton band portion projecting outwardly from the body portion at a plurality of points which are free from the body of the cap and constitute a pie-formed formation for engagement telescopically with a similarly shaped formation of the bottle neck.

The cap, when in this condition, is mounted upon the bottle neck and is held against rotation relatively to the bottle by the telescopic interengagement of the band 4 and the formation 6 of the bottle neck. pressed down upon the bottle neck in sealing position, the body of the cap is t readed by employing the threads of the bottle neck as a mandrel for cooperation with suitable dies or tools by means of which the threads are formed in the body of. said cap.

In Fig. 6, there is illustrated another form of construction, wherein the skeleton band II is expanded along two diametrically opposed free portions l2 thereof, which project outwardly from the body of the cap and wherein said band I! remains connected with the body of the cap by means of two connecting members 43, which will be substantially identical with any pair of diametrically opposed connecting members 5 of Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

As in the case of the first described cap, the band II will be equipped with the weakening formation 8 and incision 9 illustrated in Fig. 3, and the operations of mounting, threading and severing and removing the band H will be identical with those of the structure shown in Figs. 1. to 5 inclusive.

It will be understood, of course, that the several shapes of the skeleton band shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive and Fig. 6 are merely exemplary of a number of. different shapes or skeleton bands that may be adopted without departure from the invention.

While the slots 2 are shown herein as being of appreciable width vertically oi the cap, prior to expansion of the free portions of the terminal band, it will be understood, of course, that said While the cap is held firmly slots may be more slits or severance cuts. Also, that the weakening of the connecting portions 5 alternating with the slots 2 may be weakened simultaneously with the cutting of said slots or slits.

I claim as my invention:

1. The herein described method of making sheet metal sealing caps for receptacles which consists in first producing a cap structure presenting a substantially cylindrical skirt portion, then cutting a series of slots in said skirt portion between the ends thereof and extending circumferentially thereof in a plane disposed perpendicularly to the axis of said skirt portion whereby to partially separate the lower from the upper skirt portion, expanding and distorting the portions of the said lower skirt portion disposed below said slots torender said lower end portion non-cylindrical in horizontal section and cause the same to define a larger area than is defined by the upper skirt portion, partially severing the unbroken portions of said skirt lying between said slots and partially severing said lower skirt portion at a point below one of said slots and from its upper to its lower end, to render the latter digitally severable at said last-named point and for weakening said unbroken portions to enable the latter to be digitally severed following severance of said lower skirt portion for detaching the latter from said upper skirt portion.

2. The hereindescribed method of making sheet metal sealing caps for receptacles which consists in first producing a cap structure presenting a substantially cylindrical skirt portion, then cutting a series of slots in said skirt portion between the ends thereof and extending circumferentially thereof in a plane disposed perpendicularly to the axis of said skirt portion, whereby to partially separate the lower from the upper skirt portion and leaving relatively narrow, weak and easily fracturable portions between the contiguous slots for maintaining the upper and lower skirt portions integrally connected with each other, expanding and distorting the portions of the said lower skirt portion disposed below said slots to render said lower end portion non-cylindrical in horizontal section and cause the same to define a larger area than is defined by the upper skirt portion, and partially severing said lower skirt portion at a point below one of said slots and from its upper to its lower end to render the latter digitally severable.

EDWARD H. FABRICE. 

